“By Jove! It is going down,” reported the lad. “I guess we’re in for it.”
A little later there was noticed a bank of dark and angry-looking clouds in the west, and from them came fitful flashes of lightning, while the distant rumble of thunder could be heard.
“Better go down,” advised Bob. “It’s going to break soon.”
“I was waiting until I saw a little better place to make a descent,” answered Jerry, peering anxiously ahead through the gathering murkiness. “It’s a pretty rough country here—nothing but woods.”
“Well, we can stay in the air ship cabin,” retorted Ned. “Go ahead down Jerry.”
“All right,” assented the tall lad. He pulled the deflecting lever, and, as he did so there was a sharp snapping sound.
“What’s that?” cried Bob in alarm.
“Lightning!” answered Ned.
“No, something broken,” declared Jerry. “It’s a main brace, too,” he added a moment later. “We’ll have to go down now whether we want to or not. That brace will have to be heated, and welded together before we can run the machinery at full speed. Here we go!”
The Comet shot downward on a long slant, and a moment later there was a vivid flash of lightning, followed by a crashing peal of thunder.